Recreational boating is a popular leisure activity, and, in many cases, the passengers on a recreational boat exit the boat to swim, snorkel, or water ski. Because boats typically have a hull that extends several feet above the surface of the water, a swimming support platform is sometimes used to assist the swimmer in re-boarding the boat from the water. One type of typical swimming support platform is a molded platform formed on or near the transom (i.e., the surface that forms the stern of the boat). Because the molded swimming support platform is disposed above the waterline, a ladder is required to allow a swimmer to climb onto the swimming support platform when exiting the water. Other commonly-used swimming support platforms are pivotably coupled to a portion of the transom on either side of an outboard motor or the drive unit of an inboard/outboard drive or are coupled to the side of the boat. Typically, these swimming support platforms may be rotated from a vertical storage position to a horizontal deployed position. When in the deployed position, the swimming support platform may be disposed approximately one foot below the waterline to allow swimmers to use their buoyancy to assist in mounting the swimming support platform when the swimmer desires to re-board the boat. Once on the swimming support platform, the swimmer can stand up and step over the transom or the side of the boat to safely board the boat.
However, when such a swimming support platform is no longer in use, the swimming support platform must be pivoted up and locked into the storage position. In a common scenario, the boater forgets to rotate the swimming support platform into the storage position prior to moving the boat, and the swimming support platform remains in the deployed position when the boat begins to move. Because the swimming support platform remains below the surface of the water when the boat is moving, large hydrodynamic forces act on the swimming support platform as the boat moves, especially at a high rate of speed, and these hydrodynamic forces may damage the swimming support platform, the hinging mechanism coupling the swimming support platform to the transom, or the transom itself. Even if the hydrodynamic forces do not cause physical damage, the hydrodynamic forces may result in drag forces that significantly reduce the fuel efficiency of the boat. Moreover, mounting the pivotable swimming support platform to the transom involves drilling holes into the transom, and these holes can cause leaks or rotting of the material forming the transom.